Little Watchman Translation (Of The New Testament)

By Little Watchman

An as literal as possible translation of the New Testament Greek texts into English, which attempts to avoid preconceptions and just let the Greek say what it says.

Hopefully this will give readers a fresh understanding of the story of Yeshua and his assembly. It is my prayer that this approach will make you think, and to get excited again about your life as a Christian.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Little Watchman
• Release date: Jun 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311134110

Little Watchman

I have been studying and teaching the Bible for more than 30 years in Australia, Japan, and the USA.My mission is to call the church back to working properly as a body, where each member is both valued and active. And to refocus on our combined mission as a team - to make disciples instead of just making converts.

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Little Watchman Translation

Copyright © 2011-16 littlewatchman.com

All rights reserved.

Published in Australia

First Publishing June 2014

Revised Edition June 2015

Revised Edition September 2016

Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for any purpose which does not honour God or which involves any kind of financial gain. Thank you for your support.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Acts

Romans

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

1 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy

2 Timothy

Titus

Philemon

Hebrews

James

1 Peter

2 Peter

1 John

2 John

3 John

Jude

Revelation

Appendix - Translation Notes

Appendix - Revision Notes 2015

Appendix - Revision Notes 2016

Introduction

After significant prayer I decided to write an English translation of the New Testament. Not that I saw anything significantly wrong with the existing ones, but more because I saw businesses making huge profits from selling Bibles. That is their legal right, but one day they may need to discuss that with the original author. This translation is copyright, but you may use it free of charge, for any purpose which honors God, and which does not bring financial profit of any kind.

There are more detailed translation notes in the appendix at the end, but the overriding principle of translation was to try to avoid any preconception and to just let the original Greek say whatever it says. And to make as literal a translation as possible. Anyone who has ever translated anything knows that there is usually more than one correct way to translate most statements. So we have been careful when choosing English equivalents to take into account any connotation that those English words might have.

As a result, this translation reads a little differently. But I believe it is consistent with and faithful to the original Greek texts. I hope you like it, but much more, I hope it brings insight and excitement to your Christian life.

There are no verse numbers in this translation. In my experience they do more harm than good. People are too quick to flip to one verse and then they get the wrong idea about what it means because they haven't read the context. So in the end I decided not to propagate that. Read chapters. Get to know the bigger picture.

And finally, I am no great scholar of ancient languages. I know a little. But I have made use of the work of some of the great scholars who have made their work available in the public domain in the past. Men like Darby, Strong, Vine. And modern scholars who have made the Greek texts available and who have documented it with their own translations and notes. And to those who provide freely available online lexicons and dictionaries.

Thanks goes to all of them. This translation would not have been possible without their unselfish efforts.

Matthew

1   A scroll of the lineage[1] of Yeshua the Anointed, son of David, son of Abraham.

    Abraham fathered Yitshak.

    And Yitshak fathered Yaakov.

    And Yaakov fathered Yehuda and his brothers.

    And Yehuda fathered Perez and Zerah, (with Tamar).

    And Perez fathered Hezron.

    And Hezron fathered Aram.

    And Aram fathered Aminadab.

    And Aminadab fathered Nahshon.

    And Nahshon fathered Salmon.

    And Salmon fathered Boaz, (with Rahab).

    And Boaz fathered Obed, (with Ruth).

    And Obed fathered Yishay.

    And Yishay fathered David, the king.

    And David the king fathered Solomon, (with the one who’d been Uriah’s).

    And Solomon fathered Rehoboam.

    And Rehoboam fathered Abiyah.

    And Abiyah fathered Asa.

    And Asa fathered Jehoshaphat.

    And Jehoshaphat fathered Jehoram.

    And Jehoram fathered Uzziah.

    And Uzziah fathered Jotham.

    And Jotham fathered Ahaz.

    And Ahaz fathered Hezekiah.

    And Hezekiah fathered Manasseh.

    And Manasseh fathered Amon.

    And Amon fathered Josiah.

    And Josiah fathered Jeconiah and his brothers, during the exile of Babylon.

    And after the exile of Babylon, Jeconiah fathered Shealitiel.

    And Shealitiel fathered Zerubbabel.

    And Zerubbabel fathered Abiud.

    And Abiud fathered Eliakim.

    And Eliakim fathered Azor.

    And Azor fathered Zadok.

    And Zadok fathered Akim.

    And Akim fathered Eliud.

    And Eliud fathered Eleazar.

    And Eleazar fathered Matthan.

    And Matthan fathered Yaakov.

    And Yaakov fathered Yosef, the husband of Maria, from whom Yeshua was born, the one called the Anointed.

    All the generations then were fourteen generations from Abraham until David, and fourteen generations from David until the exile of Babylon, and fourteen generations from the exile of Babylon until the Anointed.

    And the birth of Yeshua the Anointed was like this:

    His mother Maria had been promised in marriage to Yosef, but before they’d come together she was found to be pregnant[2] from the holy spirit. And Yosef, her husband, being a righteous person, and not wanting her to be made an example of, intended to release her secretly. But while he was considering these things. Look! A messenger of the lord[3] [Yahweh] appeared to him in a dream, saying, Yosef, son of David. Don’t be afraid to take Maria as your- wife. For the one who’s being born is from the holy spirit. And she’ll give birth to a son, and you’ll- name him Yeshua[4]. For he himself will save his people from their sins.

    And all this came to be so that what was declared by the lord[3] [Yahweh] through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying, Look! The virgin will be pregnant[2], and she’ll give birth to a son, and they’ll name him Emmanuel[5], (which is translated as God among us) And when he’d been woken from the sleep, Yosef did as the messenger of the lord[3] [Yahweh] had commanded him, and he took his wife to himself. But he wasn’t intimate with her until she gave birth to her son, the firstborn. And he named him Yeshua.

2   And Yeshua was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king. Look! Magicians[6] from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where’s the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to worship him. And when he heard this, Herod the king was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired from them where the Anointed was to be born. And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea. For this is what’s been written through the prophet. ‘And you-, Bethlehem, land of Judea, you’re- by no means least among those governors of Judea, for out of you- will come the one who leads, who’ll shepherd my people, Yisrael.’

    Then Herod called the magicians secretly, and determined accurately from them the time of the appearance of the star. And he sent them to Bethlehem, having said, Go, and examine precisely concerning the child, and whatever you= find, come and report to me so I may also go and worship him. And when they had heard the king they went off. And look! The star which they’d seen in the east went ahead of them until it came and stopped over where the child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with extremely great joy. And when they came into the house, they saw the child with Maria, his mother. And they fell down and worshipped him. And opening up their treasures, they presented him offerings of gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

    But having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another road. And when they’d withdrawn. Look! A messenger of the lord[3] [Yahweh] appeared to Yosef in a dream, saying, Wake up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you-. For Herod is about to seek the child to destroy him. And when he woke up, he took the child and his mother, and withdrew to Egypt by night. And he was there until the death of Herod, so that what had been declared by the lord[3][Yahweh] through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying, I’ve called my son out of Egypt.

    When Herod saw that he’d been mocked by the magicians, he was very enraged. And he sent and killed all the children[7] in Bethlehem, and in all its borders, from two years old and under, according to the time which he’d determined from the magicians. Then what had been declared by the prophet Yermiyah was fulfilled, saying, A voice is heard in Ramah, a funeral song, and weeping, and a great lamenting. Rachel weeping for her children, and not willing to be consoled, because they are no longer.

    And when Herod had died. Look! A messenger of the lord[3] [Yahweh] appeared to Yosef in a dream in Egypt, saying, Wake up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Yisrael. For those who sought the life of the child have died. And when he woke up, he took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Yisrael. But, since he’d heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the parts of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been declared through the prophets would be fulfilled, He’ll be called a Nazarene.

3   And in those days Yohannes the Immerser came proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has come near. For this is the one who was declared by the prophet Yisheyah, saying, "A voice of one who shouts in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the lord[3] [Yahweh]. Make his track straight.’" And Yohannes himself had clothing of camel hair, and a leather belt around his loin. And his food was locusts and field honey.

    Then Jerusalem went out to him, and all Judea, and all the surrounding area of the Jordan. And confessing their sins, they were immersed in the Jordan by him. And when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming towards his immersion, he said to them, "Offspring of vipers. Who told to you= to flee from the impending wrath? Produce fruit then which is worthy of repentance. And don’t presume to say to yourselves ‘We have Abraham as a father.’ For I say to you= that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

    And already now the axe has been laid at the root of the trees. So every tree which doesn’t produce quality fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Indeed, I immerse you= in water into repentance, but the one who comes after me is stronger than me, of whom I’m not adequate to carry his sandals. He himself will immerse you= in the holy spirit. His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he’ll thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and he’ll gather his grain into the storehouse, and he’ll burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

    Then Yeshua came along from Galilee to the Jordan, to Yohannes, to be immersed by him. And Yohannes forbade him saying, I need to be immersed by you-. And you’re- coming to me? But answering, Yeshua said to him, Allow it like this for now, for in this way it’s fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he allowed it.

    And when he’d been immersed, Yeshua went up straightaway from the water. And look! The heavens were opened up, and he saw the spirit of God coming down like a dove, and coming upon him. And look! There was a voice from the heavens saying, This is my son, who is beloved, in whom I’m delighted.

4   Then Yeshua was led up to the wilderness by the spirit, to be tested by Diabolos[8]. And after he’d fasted for forty days and nights he was hungry. And the one who was testing him came up to him and said, If you’re- the son of God, speak, so these stones become loaves of bread. But answering he said, It’s been written, ‘A person won’t live on bread alone, but on every declaration which comes out of the mouth of God.’

    Then Diabolos[8] took him into the holy city, and stood him on the wing of the temple, and he said to him, If you’re- the son of God, throw yourself down. For it’s been written, ‘His messengers will be commanded about you-, and they’ll lift you- on their hands, otherwise you- might strike your- foot against a stone.’ Yeshua declared to him again, It’s been written, ‘You- shouldn’t test the lord[3] [Yahweh] your- god.’

    Again Diabolos[8] took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. And he said to him, I’ll give all these to you- if you- fall down and worship me. Then Yeshua said to him, Go away, behind me Satan[9]. For it’s been written, ‘You’ll- worship the lord[3] [Yahweh] your- god, and you’ll- serve only him.’ Then Diabolos left him alone. And look! Messengers came near and served him.

    Now when Yeshua heard that Yohannes had been handed over, he withdrew into Galilee. And when he left Nazareth, he went and dwelt in Capernaum, which is beside the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was declared through the prophet Yisheyah would be fulfilled, saying, Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the nations - the people sitting in darkness have seen a great light. And light has risen up to those sitting in the countryside, and in the shadow of death.

    From then on Yeshua began proclaiming, and saying, Repent for the kingdom of the heavens has come near.

    And walking beside the sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Shimon, the one called Petros, and Andreas, his brother, throwing their net into the sea, (for they were fishermen), and he said to them, Come here after me, and I’ll make you= fishermen of people. And straightaway, having left their nets behind, they followed him.

    And going on from there he saw two other brothers, Yaakov, of Zebedee, and Yohannes, his brother, repairing their nets in a boat with Zebedee their father. And he called them. And straightaway, having left the boat and their father behind, they followed him.

    Yeshua was going around the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing all kinds of disease and all kinds of sickness among the people. And news of him went out into the whole of Syria. And they brought to him all those who were sick, who had various diseases, and who were constrained by torments, and those who were possessed by demons, and lunatics[10], and paralytics. And he cured them. And many crowds followed him, from Galilee, and from the Decapolis[11], and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and the other side of the Jordan.

5   And when he saw the crowds, he went up into the mountain. And when he’d sat down his disciples approached him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, "The poor in spirit are blessed, because the kingdom of the heavens is theirs. Those who mourn are blessed because they’ll be consoled. The meek are blessed because they’ll inherit the earth. Those who hunger and who thirst for righteousness are blessed because they’ll be satisfied. The compassionate are blessed because they’ll be shown mercy. The pure of heart are blessed because they’ll look upon God. The peacemakers are blessed because they’ll be called sons of God. Those who’ve been persecuted on account of righteousness are blessed because the kingdom of the heavens is theirs.

    You’re= blessed when they reproach you=, and persecute you=, and falsely say every wicked thing against you= on account of me. Rejoice, and rejoice exceedingly, because your= reward is great in the heavens. For in this way they persecuted the prophets who were before you=.

    You’re= the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavour, how will it be made salty? It’s no longer useful for anything, except to be thrown outside and to be trampled by the people. You’re= the light of the world. A town which lies on a mountain isn’t able to be hidden. Neither do they burn a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it shines to all those who are in the house. Let your= light shine in this way in front of people, so they may see your= good[12] works, and they’ll glorify your= father who’s in the heavens.

    You= shouldn’t presume that I came to demolish the law or the prophets, I didn’t come to demolish, but to fulfil. Amen[13]. For I say to you=, until the sky and the earth pass away, not one iota[14], nor one horn[15], will pass away from the law until all things come to pass. So whoever removes one of the least of these commands, and teaches people in this way, will be called least in the kingdom of the heavens. But whoever does and teaches, this one will be called great in the kingdom of the heavens. For I say to you=, that unless your= righteousness overabounds more than that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you= won’t enter into the kingdom of the heavens at all.

    You’ve= heard that it was declared to the ancients, ‘You- won’t murder. Whoever murders will be subject to judgement.’ But I say to you= that everyone who’s indignant with their brother for no reason will be subject to judgement. Whoever says to their brother, ‘Raka’[16], will be subject to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘Foolish’, will be subject to the fire of Gehenna[17].

    So if you’re- presenting your- offering on the altar, and there you’re- reminded that your- brother has something against you-. Leave your- offering there in front of the altar, and go off first to be reconciled with your- brother. And then come and present your- offering.

    Agree quickly with the plaintiff against you-, while you’re- on the way with him. Otherwise the plaintiff might hand you- over to the judge, and the judge might hand you- over to the attendant, and you- might be thrown into jail. Amen[13], I say to you-, you- won’t come out from there at all until you’ve- paid the last quadrans[18].

    You’ve= heard that it was declared, ‘You- won’t commit adultery.’ But I say to you=, that everyone who looks at a woman to desire her, has already committed adultery with her in their heart. And if your- right eye makes you- stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you-. For it’s beneficial to you- that one of the parts of your- body should be lost, and not that your- whole body should be thrown into Gehenna[17]. And if your- right hand makes you- stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you-. For it’s beneficial to you- that one of the parts of your- body should be lost, and not that your- whole body should be thrown into Gehenna.

    And it was declared ‘Whoever releases his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce’. But I say to you= that whoever releases his wife outside of an account of fornication, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries the one who has been released is committing adultery.

    Again, you’ve= heard that it was declared to the ancients, ‘You- won’t swear falsely, but you’ll- pay your- oaths to the lord[3] [Yahweh].’ But I say to you=, don’t swear at all. Not by heaven, because it’s the throne of God, nor by the earth, because it’s the footstool of his feet, nor by Jerusalem, because it’s the city of the great king. Nor should you- swear by your- own head, because you- aren’t able to make one hair white or black. But let your= message be ‘Yes. Yes.’ or ‘No. No.’ And whatever is more than these is from wickedness.

    You’ve= heard that it was declared, ‘And eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you=, don’t resist the one who’s wicked, but to anyone who slaps you- on your- right cheek, turn the other to them also. And to the one who wants you- to be judged, and to take your- tunic, leave him the cloak also. And anyone who presses[19] you- for a mile, go off with them for two. Give to the one who requests from you-, and don’t turn away the one who wants to borrow from you-.

    You’ve= heard that it was declared, ‘You’ll- love your- neighbour, and you’ll- hate your- enemy.’ But I say to you=, love your= enemies, bless those who are cursing you=, do good to those who hate you=, and pray for those who threaten you= and persecute you=, so you= may become sons of your= father who’s in the heavens. Because his sun rises on the wicked and the good, and he rains on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you= love those who love you=, what reward do you= have? Don’t the tax collectors also do the same? And if you= greet only your= friends, what are you= doing extra? Don’t the tax collectors also behave in this way? Then you’ll= be perfect, just as your= father who’s in the heavens is perfect.

6   Watch out that you= don’t do your= act of charity in front of people, to be gazed at by them. And if you= do, you’ll= surely have no reward from your= father who’s in the heavens. So whenever you- do an act of charity, you- shouldn’t trumpet in front of you- as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues, and in the streets, so they might be glorified by the people. Amen[13], I say to you=, they’re collecting their reward. But you-, when you- do an act of charity, don’t let your- left hand know what your- right hand is doing, so your- act of charity may be in secret. And your- father, who observes things done in secret, will repay you- himself, in the open.

    And whenever you- pray, don’t be like the hypocrites, because they’re fond of standing and praying in the synagogues, and in the corners of the squares, so they might be seen by the people. Amen[13], I say to you=, that they’re collecting their reward. But you-, whenever you- pray, enter into your- storeroom and shut your- door, and pray to your- father who’s in secret. And your- father, who observes things done in secret, will repay you- in the open.

    And when you= pray, you= shouldn’t utter useless repetitions like the nations do, for they assume that by speaking much they’ll be listened to. So don’t be like them, for your= father knows what you= need before you= request it from him. So pray in this way - ‘Our father who’s in the heavens. Let your- name be considered holy. Let your- kingdom come. Let your- will also come to be on the earth, as it is in heaven. Give us our bread, enough for a day, today. And pardon us what we owe, since we also pardon our debtors. And don’t bring us into a trial, but rescue us from the wicked one, because the kingdom, and the power, and the glory are yours- into the ages. Amen[13].’ For if you= pardon people their transgressions, your= heavenly father will also pardon you=. But if you= don’t pardon people their transgressions, neither will your= father pardon your= transgressions.

    And whenever you= fast, don’t become like the hypocrites, with a sad face. For they disguise their faces so they may appear to people to be fasting. Amen[13], I say to you= that they’re collecting their reward. But you-, when you- fast, anoint your- head and wash your- face, so you- won’t appear to people to be fasting, but to your- father who’s in secret, who observes things done in secret, who’ll repay you- in the open.

    Don’t hoard treasures on earth where moth and corrosion make them disappear, and where thieves dig through and steal. But hoard treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor corrosion make them disappear, and where thieves neither dig through nor steal. For where your= treasure is, there your= heart will be also.

    The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your- eye is simple[20], then your- whole body will be lit up. But if your- eye is wicked, your- whole body will be darkened. So if the light in you- is darkness, how great is that darkness!

    Nobody is able to be a slave to two masters. For they’ll either hate one and love the other, or they’ll hold close to one and despise the other. You= aren’t able to be a slave to God and to mammon[21].

    Because of this I say to you=, don’t be anxious about your= life, what you= might eat, and what you= might drink, nor about your= body, what you= should wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky, because they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into a storehouse, and your= heavenly father looks after them. Aren’t you= of even more consequence than them? And who among you= is able to add a cubit[22] to their height by being anxious?

    And why are you= anxious about clothing? Study the lilies of the field closely, how they grow. They don’t labour, nor do they spin [cloth], but I say to you= that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. And if God clothes the grass of the field in this way, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he even much more clothe you=, you= of little faith.

    So you= shouldn’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we be clothed with?’ For the nations seek after all these things, and because your= heavenly father knows that you= need all these. But first, seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you=. So don’t be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for its own things. The evil of today is sufficient.

7   Don’t judge, so you= won’t be judged. For you’ll= be judged with the judgement you= judge with. And it’ll be measured to you= with the measure you= measure with. And why do you- look at the twig in the eye of your- brother, but you- don’t examine the beam[23] in your- own eye? Or how can you- say to your- brother, Allow me to remove the twig from your- eye. And look! There’s a beam in your- own eye. Hypocrite. First remove the beam from your- own eye, and then you’ll- see clearly to remove the twig from the eye of your- brother.

    Don’t give holy things to the dogs, or throw your= pearls in front of pigs. Otherwise they might trample them under their feet, and turn, and tear you= to pieces. Request and it’ll be given to you=. Seek and you’ll= find. Knock and it’ll be opened to you=. For everyone who requests receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it’ll be opened.

    And what person is among you= who, if their son requests bread, would present him a stone? Or if he requests a fish, will present him a serpent? So then, if you=, being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your= children, how much more then will your= father who’s in the heavens give good things to those who request from him.

    All things then, whatever you= want people to do to you=, do to them in the same way. For this is the law and the prophets.

    Enter in through the narrow gate. Because the gate is wide, and the path is broad which leads to destruction, and there are many who are going in through it. But the gate is narrow, and the path is constricted which leads to life, and those who find it are few.

    And watch out for false prophets, who come to you= in the clothing of sheep but on the inside they are plundering wolves. You’ll= recognise them from their fruit. They don’t gather grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles, do they? In this way, every good[24] tree produces quality fruit, but a poor[25] tree produces bad fruit. A good[24] tree isn’t able to produce bad fruit, neither does a poor[25] tree produce quality fruit. Every tree which doesn’t produce quality fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Surely then, you’ll= recognise them from their fruit.

    Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord. Lord.’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one who does the will of my father who’s in the heavens. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord. Lord. Didn’t we prophesy in your- name, and by your- name cast out demons, and by your- name do many works of power?’ And then I’ll declare to them, ‘I never knew you=. Go away from me, you= who work lawlessness.’

    Everyone then who hears these messages of mine and does them, I’ll liken them to a sensible man, who built his house on the rock. And the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and they fell upon that house, but it didn’t fall down because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these messages of mine and doesn’t do them, will be likened to a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. And the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and they struck that house, and it fell down. And its fall was great."

    And it came to be, when Yeshua had concluded these messages, that the crowds were astonished at his teaching. For he taught them like one who had authority, and not like the scribes.

8   When he came down from the mountain many crowds followed him. And look! A leper came and worshipped him saying, Lord. If you’re- willing, you’re- able to cleanse me. And stretching out his hand Yeshua touched him, saying, I’m willing. Be cleansed. And straightaway his leprosy was cleansed, and Yeshua said to him, See that you- don’t speak to anybody, but go and show yourself to the priest, and present the offering which Moshe prescribed as a testimony to them.

    And when he entered into Capernaum a centurion approached him, entreating him, and saying, "Lord. My child[26] has been laid low[27] in the house, paralysed, dreadfully tortured. And Yeshua said to him, I’ll come and cure him. But answering, the centurion declared, Lord. I’m not important enough that you- should enter under my roof, but only say the message, and my child[26] will be healed. For I’m also a person under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go’, and he goes, and to another, ‘Come’, and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this’, and he does it. And when he heard this, Yeshua marvelled and said to those who were following, Amen[13], I say to you=, I haven’t yet found so much faith in Yisrael. But I say to you=, that many from the east and the west will arrive, and they’ll recline with Abraham, and Yitshak, and Yaakov in the kingdom of the heavens. But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness, where there’ll be weeping and the gnashing of teeth. And Yeshua said to the centurion, Go off and let it come to be for you- as you’ve- trusted." And his child[26] was healed in that hour.

    And when he came into the house of Petros, Yeshua saw his mother in law - laid low[27] and feverish. And he touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and served him. And when it had become evening, they presented many who were demon possessed to him, and he cast the spirits out with a statement, and he cured all those who were ill. So that what was declared through the prophet Yisheyah would be fulfilled, saying, He himself took our illnesses, and he bore our diseases.

    And when he saw the many crowds around him, Yeshua gave an order to go over to the other side. And a scribe approached and said to him, Teacher. I’ll follow you- wherever you- go. And Yeshua said to him, The foxes have dens, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man doesn’t have anywhere to recline his head. And another of his disciples said to him, Lord, first permit me to go off and to bury my father. But Yeshua said to him, Follow me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.

    And he stepped into the boat and his disciples followed him. And look! A great storm[28] came about in the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves. But he himself was lying down asleep. And his disciples came to him and woke him, saying, Lord. Save us. We’re being destroyed. And he said to them, Why are you= cowardly, you= of little faith. Then he got up up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there came a great calm. And the people marvelled, saying, What kind of person is this, that the winds and the sea obey him?

    And when he came to the other side, into the region of the Gadarenes, two demon possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, very savage, so that no one was strong enough to pass by through that road. And look! They cried out, saying, What are we to you-, Yeshua, son of God? Did you- come here before time to torture us? Now, far off from them, a herd of many pigs was being grazed. And the daemons entreated him, saying, If you- cast us out, permit us to go into the herd of pigs. And he said to them, Go. So they came out and went off into the herd of pigs. And look! The whole herd of pigs rushed down the steep bank into the sea and died in the waters. But those who were grazing them fled. And they went into the town and reported everything, including the matters of the demon possessed men. And look! The whole town came out to meet Yeshua, and when they saw him they entreated him to cross over from their borders.

9   And he stepped into the boat and crossed over and came to his own town. And look! They brought a paralytic to him who’d been laid on a mat. And when he saw their faith Yeshua said to the paralytic, Have courage child, your- sins have been pardoned. And look! Some of the scribes said among themselves, This man is speaking evil. And seeing their thoughts Yeshua said Why are you= thinking wicked things in your= hearts? For which is easier, to say ‘Your- sins have been pardoned’, or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But, so that you= may see that the Son of Man has authority on the earth to pardon sins... Then he said to the paralytic, Get up, pick up your- mat, and go off to your- household. And he got up and went off to his household. And when they saw this the crowds marvelled. And they glorified God who’d given such authority to people.

    And passing on from there Yeshua saw a person, called Matthaios, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, Follow me. And he got up and followed him. And it came to be that he [Yeshua] was reclining in his [Matthaios] house. And look! Many tax collectors and sinners came and reclined together with Yeshua and his disciples. And when they saw this, the Pharisees said to his disciples, Why does your= teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners? But when he heard them, Yeshua said to them, The strong have no need of a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn what ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice’ is. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners, into repentance.

    Then the disciples of Yohannes came to him, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your- disciples don’t fast? And Yeshua said to them, "The sons of the wedding chamber can’t mourn while the bridegroom is with them, can they? But days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they’ll fast.

    And nobody patches an old cloak with a patch of unprocessed cloth. For as it shrinks it pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear occurs. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins. And if they do the wineskins will burst, and the wine will pour out, and the wineskins will be ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

    While he was saying these things to them. Look! A ruler came and worshipped him, saying, My daughter has just died. But come and place your- hand on her, and she’ll live. And Yeshua got up and followed him, with his disciples. And look! There was a woman who’d had a discharge of blood for twelve years. She approached him from behind and touched the tassel of his cloak. For she’d said to herself, If only I could touch his cloak I’ll be healed. But Yeshua turned around, and when he saw her he said, Have courage daughter, your- faith has healed you-. And the woman was healed from that hour.

    And when he came to the house of the ruler, and he saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, Yeshua said to them, Go away, for the girl hasn’t died - she’s sleeping. And they ridiculed him. But when the crowd had been thrown out, he went in, and he held her hand, and the girl woke up. And the fame of this went out into that whole land.

    When Yeshua went on from there, two blind people followed him, crying out and saying, Have mercy on us son of David. And when he came into the house, the blind ones approached him, and Yeshua said to them, Do you= believe that I’m able to do this? They said to him, Yes lord. Then he touched their eyes, saying, Let it be to you= according to your= faith. And their eyes were opened. And Yeshua strongly admonished them, saying, See that you= don’t let anybody know this. But when they’d gone off, they spread it through that whole land.

    And as they went out. Look! They presented a deaf person to him who was demon possessed. And when the demon had been cast out, the deaf person spoke. And the crowds marvelled saying, Nothing like this has ever appeared in Yisrael. But the Pharisees said, He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.

    And Yeshua went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing all kinds of disease and all kinds of sickness among the people. And when he saw the crowds he was moved with compassion for them because they were troubled and scattered like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, Indeed the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So plead with the lord of the harvest to put workers into his harvest.

10   And calling the twelve disciples to him, he granted them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure all kinds of disease, and all kinds of sickness. And these are the names of the twelve ambassadors. First, Shimon, the one called Petros, and Andreas, his brother, Yaakov, of Zebedee, and Yohannes, his brother, Philippos and Bartholomaios, Thomas and Matthaios, the tax collector, Yaakov, of Alpheus, and Lebbaeus, the one usually called Thaddeus, Shimon the Canaanite, and Yehuda Iscarioth, the one who also handed him over.

    Yeshua sent off these twelve, instructing them, saying, "Don’t go off to the way of the nations, and don’t enter into a town of the Samaritans. But go instead to the sheep of the house of Yisrael who’ve been lost. And as you= go, proclaim, saying, ‘The kingdom of the heavens has come near.’ Cure the ill, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.

    You’ve= received without cost, give without cost. You= shouldn’t acquire gold, or silver, or copper in your= belts. No pouch for the way, or two tunics, or sandals, or staves. For the worker is worthy of his food. And into whichever town or village you= enter, inquire into who in it is worthy, and remain there [with them] until you= come out.

    And as you= enter into the house, greet it. And if indeed the house is worthy, let your= peace come over it. But if it isn’t worthy, then let your= peace return to you=. And whoever doesn’t welcome you=, or listen to your= messages, come out of that house or of that town, shaking the dust from your= feet. Amen[13], I say to you=, it’ll be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and of Gomorrah in the day of judgement than for that town.

    Look! I send you= off like sheep in the midst of wolves. So be as prudent as serpents, and as pure as doves. And watch out, for people will hand you= over to the Sanhedrin[29], and they’ll flog you= in their synagogues. And you’ll= also be led before governors and kings on account of me, to give testimony to them and to the nations. But whenever they hand you= over, don’t be anxious about how or what you= should speak. For what you’ll= speak will be given to you= in that hour. For you= aren’t the ones who speak, but it’s the spirit of your= father who speaks among you=.

    And brother will hand brother over to death, and father, children. And children will rise up over parents, and they’ll have them put to death. And you’ll= be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And whenever they persecute you= in this town, flee into the other. Amen[13], I say to you=, you= won’t finish the towns of Yisrael before the Son of Man has come.

    A disciple isn’t above their teacher, nor is a slave above his master. It’s enough for the disciple that they may come to be like their teacher, and the slave like their master. If they call the homeowner Beelzebub[30], how much more those of his household. So don’t be afraid of them, for nothing is covered which won’t be uncovered, or hidden which won’t be perceived. What I say to you= in the darkness, say in the light, and what you= hear [whispered] in the ear, proclaim on the rooftops. And don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but who aren’t able to kill the soul. But instead, be afraid of the one who’s able to destroy both the soul and the body in Gehenna[17].

    Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion[31]? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your= father. And you= too - the hairs on your= head have all been numbered. So don’t be afraid, you= are of more consequence than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me in front of people, I’ll also acknowledge them in front of my father who’s in the heavens. But anyone who denies me in front of people, I’ll also deny them in front of my father who’s in the heavens.

    You= shouldn’t presume that I came to cast peace on the earth. I didn’t come to cast peace, but a sword. For I came to separate a person from his father, and a daughter from her mother, and a daughter in law from her mother in law. And the enemies of a person will be those of his own household. The one who’s more fond of their father and mother than of me, isn’t worthy of me. And the one who’s more fond of their son or daughter than of me, isn’t worthy of me. And whoever doesn’t take their stake[32] and follow after me, isn’t worthy of me.

    The one who finds their life will lose it, but the one who loses their life on account of me will find it. The one who welcomes you=, welcomes me. And the one who welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. The one who welcomes a prophet, in the name of a prophet, will receive the reward of a prophet. And the one who welcomes a righteous one, in the name of a righteous one, will receive the reward of a righteous one. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cool water, in the name of a disciple, amen[13], I say to you=, won’t in any way lose his reward.

11   And it came to be, when Yeshua had finished instructing his twelve disciples, that he crossed over from there to teach, and to proclaim in their towns. But when Yohannes heard, in prison, of the works of the Anointed, he sent two of his disciples to say to him, Are you- the one who’s coming, or should we expect another? And answering, Yeshua said to them, "Go and report what you= hear and observe to Yohannes. The blind receive sight, and the lame walk. Lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear. The dead are raised, and the poor are brought the good news. And whoever isn’t offended[33] by me is blessed."

    And as they were going off, Yeshua began to say to the crowds about Yohannes, "What did you= go out into the wilderness to gaze upon? A reed being swayed by the wind? So what did you= go out to see? A person dressed in soft clothes? Look! Those who always wear soft things are in palatial homes. So what did you= go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you=, and much more than a prophet.

    For this is the one about whom it’s been written, ‘Look! I send my messenger ahead of you-[34], who’ll prepare your- way before you-.’ Amen[13], I say to you=, among those born of women there hasn’t been one raised up greater than Yohannes the Immerser. But the least in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than him. And from the days of Yohannes the Immerser until now, the kingdom of the heavens has been overpowered by force, and forceful ones seize hold of her. For all the prophets, and the law, up until Yohannes, prophesied, and if you’re= willing to accept it, he’s Eliyah, the one who was about to come. Let the one who has ears, hear.

    And to what will I liken this generation? They’re like little children in the marketplaces, sitting and calling out to their companions, and saying. ‘We played flutes for you=, and you= didn’t dance. We wailed funeral songs, and you= didn’t beat your= breast.’ For Yohannes came neither eating nor drinking, and they say he has a demon. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look! He’s a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners’. And wisdom has been declared righteous through her children."

    Then he began to reproach the towns in which most of his works of power had occurred, because they hadn’t repented. "Woe to you- Korazin. Woe to you- Bethsaida. Because if the works of power which occurred in you= had occurred in Tyre and Sidon, they would’ve repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Except I say to you=, it’ll be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgement than for you=. And you-, Capernaum, who has been lifted up to heaven, will be taken down to Hades[35]. Because if the works of power which occurred in you- had occurred in Sodom, it would’ve remained to this day. Except I say to you=, that it’ll be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgement than for you-."

    Answering at that time Yeshua said, "I profess you- father, lord of heaven and earth, because you’ve- concealed these things from the wise and the intelligent, and you’ve- revealed them to infants. Yes father, because in this way it brought delight to you-. All things have been handed over to me by my father, and nobody recognises the son except the father. Neither does anyone recognise the father except the son, and those to whom the son intends to reveal him.

    Come here to me all you= who labour and are loaded down, and I’ll give you= rest. Take up my yoke onto yourselves and learn from me, because I’m meek and humble of heart, and you’ll= all find rest for your= souls. For my yoke is well fitted and my load is light."

12   During that time Yeshua went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And his disciples were hungry and began plucking grain and eating it. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, Look! Your- disciples are doing what isn’t permitted to be done on a Sabbath. But he said to them, "Haven’t you= read what David did when he was hungry? Himself and those with him? How he entered into the household of God and he ate the loaves of bread which had been placed there, which wasn’t permissible for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests.

    Or haven’t you= read in the law, that on the Sabbaths the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, but they’re innocent? But I say to you=, that one who’s greater than the temple is here. And if you’d= perceived what ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice’ is, you’d= have never convicted the innocent. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

    And crossing over from there he went into their synagogue. And look! A person was there who had a withered hand. And they questioned him, saying, Is it permitted to cure on the Sabbath? (So they could accuse him). But he said to them, Who from among you= will be someone who has a sheep, and if this sheep falls into a pit on the Sabbath, he won’t take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more consequence then is a person than a sheep. So on the Sabbaths it’s permitted to do good. Then he said to the person, Stretch out your- hand. And he stretched it out, and it was restored as sound as the other.

    But the Pharisees went out and consulted together about him, that they might destroy him. But when he perceived this, Yeshua withdrew from there. And many crowds followed him, and he cured them all. And he warned them not to make it apparent who he was, so that what was declared through the prophet Yisheyah would be fulfilled, saying, "Look! My servant[36] whom I’ve chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is delighted. I’ll place my spirit on him and he’ll report judgement to the nations. He’ll neither strive nor clamour, nor will anyone hear his voice in the squares. He won’t snap a crushed reed, and he won’t extinguish a smouldering flax, until he brings judgment out into conquest. And nations will put their expectation in his name."

    Then a demon possessed person, blind and deaf, was brought to him, and he cured him so that the blind and deaf person spoke and was able to see. And all the crowds were amazed, and they said, This isn’t the son of David is it? But when they heard this the Pharisees said, "He doesn’t cast out demons except by Beelzebub[30], ruler of the demons. And knowing their thoughts, Yeshua said to them, Every kingdom which is divided among itself becomes desolate, and every town or household which is divided among itself won’t stand. And if Satan[9] casts out Satan, he’s divided among himself. So how will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your= sons cast them out? Because of this, they themselves will be your= judges. But if I cast out demons by the spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has overtaken you=.

    Or how is anyone able to enter into the house of the strong person and to plunder his things, unless they first bind the strong person? And then they’ll plunder his house. The one who isn’t with me, is against me. And the one who doesn’t gather with me, scatters. Because of this I say to you=, all sin and speaking evil will be pardoned to people, but speaking evil of the spirit won’t be pardoned to people. And whoever speaks a message against the Son of Man, it’ll be pardoned to him, but whoever speaks against the holy spirit, it won’t be pardoned to him, neither in the present age, nor in the one which is about to come.

    Either make the tree quality and its fruit will be quality, or make the tree poor[25] and its fruit will be poor[25]. For the tree is perceived by its fruit. Offspring of vipers. How are you=, who are wicked, able to speak good? For the mouth speaks from the overabundance of the heart. The good person brings out goodness from the good things stored up. And the wicked person brings out wickedness from the wicked things stored up. And I say to you=, that people will give account for every idle declaration on the day of judgment. For you’ll- be declared righteous by the things you’ve- said, and you’ll- be convicted by the things you’ve- said."

    Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered saying, Teacher. We want to see a sign from you-. But answering he said to them, "A wicked and adulterous generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Yonah. For just as Yonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, in the same way the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. Men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and they’ll condemn it because they repented at the proclamation of Yonah. And look! More than Yonah is here. The queen of the south will be raised in the judgment with this generation, and she’ll condemn it because she came from the ends of the land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And look! More than Solomon is here.

    And whenever an unclean spirit comes out from a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and doesn’t find it. Then it says, I’ll return to my household, where I came from. And when it’s come, it finds it unoccupied, having been swept, and having been tidied. Then it goes and takes along with itself seven different spirits, more wicked than itself, and it enters in and dwells there. And the final state of that person is worse than it was at first. So it will be for this wicked generation."

    And while he was still speaking to the crowds. Look! His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him. And a certain person said to him, Look! Your- mother and brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to you-. But answering, he said to the one who spoke to him, Who is my mother? And who are my brothers? And stretching out his hand over his disciples, he said, Look! My mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my father who’s in the heavens, they are my brother, and sister, and mother.

13   And that same day Yeshua came out from the house and sat beside the sea. And so many crowds were gathered around him that he stepped into the boat to sit, and all the crowd stood on the shore. And he spoke many things to them in analogies, saying, Look! The one who sows went out to sow. And as he sowed, some indeed fell beside the path, and birds came and devoured them. And others fell on rocky places where there wasn’t much soil, and it sprang up straightaway because there was no depth of soil. But when the sun rose it was burned, and because it didn’t have a root, it withered. And others fell on the thornbushes, and they came up, but the thornbushes smothered them. And others fell on the quality soil, and yielded fruit, some indeed a hundred, and some sixty, and some thirty. Let the one who has ears, hear.

    And coming to him, his disciples said to him, Why do you- speak to them in analogies? And answering